Watching your Back
by Melissa Rivers
Summary: Deeks takes matters into his own hands and learns a lesson about his partner
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers: **Episode 2.12 "_Overwatch_"

**Summary: **_Deeks takes matters into his own hands and learns a lesson about his partner._

**Notes: **_I am Australian and I do try to use American terms but some of the Aussie terms may slip through. I apologise if this occurs. _

_I am working my way backwards through the evolving relationship between Kensi & Deeks. Logically, it should be forward but my brain only wants to go in reverse. _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any characters and NCIS: Los Angeles. I am only playing with Shane Brennan's toys and will put them back when I'm finished._

XXX

Kensi considered staying under the shower once the heat had dissipated after the allotted three minutes had been used. It wasn't often that she begrudged the timers but today was definitely not one of those ordinary days. But the idea of staying longer didn't last for long as the cold water, in her opinion, did nothing to reduce the pain emanating from the bruises that were quickly forming on her shoulder, torso and thighs and grazes that were making themselves known from their run-in with the sedan.

Her hands were smarting from the scrubbing she had just given them to remove the grit that had gotten ingrained in the superficial grazes when she hit the asphalt. She was also beginning to realise the despite wearing clothes, grazes could and did occur when the body collided with the ground at speed. They may not be filled with dirt but the skin had definitely been removed on her arms.

She squeezed the excess water from her hair, wrapping it on top of her head in a towel. Gingerly she patted dry her skin, not wishing to rub vigorously and exacerbate the soreness that was beginning to make itself known now that the adrenaline rush of the case was over. She wrapped the towel around her body and opened the door. She'd learned on her first day at NCIS not to put her clothes in the cubicle with her or they ended up wetter than she had been in the shower.

"I thought we had gotten past this?" Deeks was standing outside the cubicle, tapping his foot impatiently.

Kensi jumped in surprise, the movement jarring her bruised ribs and she let out a small gasp.

"Why the hell are you stalking me in the women's showers, Deeks?"

"It might be because my partner didn't tell me about being hit by a car today." Deeks pointed out, his anger at her obvious.

"I'm fine," Kensi assured him. She pushed past him and sat down carefully on the bench seat across from the shower cubicle beside her tote bag. "How did you find out?"

"CCTV footage. I asked Eric to look into what had happened to you."

"Why?"

"Because my partner has always had my back and there would have to be a valid reason why you weren't right behind me chasing that guy. _And there was_." Deeks looked at her, his blue eyes flashing with emotion.

"It was nothing." Kensi wasn't sure why Deeks was so bothered by the accident. She was angry with herself that she had allowed it to happen but had been quick enough to throw herself up at the vehicle rather than it hitting her legs and breaking them. In her mind, she had come away from the collision much better off than it could have been if she hadn't taken evasive action.

"You broke the windscreen, Kens. That ain't _nothing_."

"I'd agree, Miss Blye," Hetty told her solemnly, suddenly appearing in the doorway. Her eyes conveyed her concern and disapproval at not having been told of the incident.

"Thanks, Deeks." Kensi muttered under her breath.

"And when were you going to tell me about your injuries?" Hetty questioned seriously. "I cannot have you out in the field injured, you are not only a liability to yourself but to your partner and your colleagues. The risks and stakes are too high."

"I am _fine_. I have some bruises and I'll pull up a bit sore but there is nothing broken."

"I have seen the footage of the accident Miss Blye and I think I would prefer to have medical confirmation of your claim."

"Hetty…"

"Your other option is that I assess and treat your injuries." Hetty removed her dark-rimmed glasses and studied them for smears before placing them back on the bridge of her nose.

Hetty and her bag of medical supplies were almost as legendary as the woman herself. Kensi knew that she was safer in the hands of professionals.

"I'll see a doctor." Kensi conceded, dropping her head into her cupped hands, elbows resting on her knees.

"Wise choice, Miss Blye." Hetty told her. "Mr. Deeks will escort you."

Kensi's head shot up so fast that she was left gasping as she wrenched her shoulder.

"That is exactly why Mr. Deeks will be taking you," Hetty told her gravely. "Pacific Beach Medical - I have organised for Dr. Davis to see you in an hour. You had better hurry." Hetty left the room, leaving the two of them speechless.

"You could have left it alone," Kensi told Deeks angrily. She removed the towel from her head and began to dry the long dark strands.

"Kensi, you don't know when to allow someone to help or seek help. This is one of those occasions. Hetty would have found out anyway, I just changed the timing of the discovery." He reached out and touched her shoulder tentatively. "That's gotta hurt."

"I've had worse," Kensi deflected, pushing his hand away.

Deeks looked down at his feet, his scruffy hair protecting his eyes from revealing the sadness at her words. He had been shocked when he had witnessed Kensi's body collide with the car, the collision hard enough to crack the windscreen. Yet she had shaken herself off as if she had walked into a door. He knew that adrenaline pushed you past the boundaries of the limits that you would normally endure but this was crazy. He gave a small smile and a single shake of his head, that description did describe his partner quite aptly at times.

"Let me get dressed, Deeks."

"I'll wait for you outside."

"You can wait downstairs. I won't disappear without you."

Deeks debated challenging her on the truth of that statement but he supposed that trust had to start somewhere. If worse came to worse, he would have Eric run a trace on her cell phone GPS.

XXX

"I'm surprised that you are still walking," Callen commented with a smile on his face as Deeks entered the bullpen. They had heard from Eric about the footage and had viewed it for themselves. While horrified by the impact, they knew Kensi well enough to leave her alone to tend to her injuries – whatever they may be.

"And he doesn't have a couple of black eyes. At least not one caused by his partner," Sam added in wonder, looking up from his laptop. "Maybe there is more to this partnership than we know. Or Hetty ran interference." His dark eyes glimmered with mirth and he gave a small chuckle.

"I don't need protection from my partner," Deeks told them defensively, dropping into his chair.

"Famous last words, if you ask me." Callen leaned back in his chair and eyed the younger detective. "You do remember where she first takes aim…"

"How long has he been working with her? You'd think he'd have learned that one by now."

"Just so that you know, she's agreed to go to the hospital to get checked out without argument."

"G, do you think Deeks has the ability to convince Kens to go to the hospital? Have we ever succeeded?"

"Nope." Callen shook his head. "Although, there has been just one person who has had that ability and she's a lot shorter than you or I and wields a lot more power than all of us combined."

Sam gave Deeks a big smirk. They had been dealing with Kensi a lot longer than Deeks had and knew she either had to be unconscious or be threatened by Hetty to get her to go to hospital.

"Whatever. At least she'll be checked out." Deeks wasn't sure why the two agents were so unperturbed by the whole event.

"Kensi does know her limits. It would be wise for you to learn that," Sam stated matter-of-factly. "While she may avoid going to the hospital whenever she can, she will admit to a serious injury."

"You consider being hit by a car and hitting the ground at around twenty-five or thirty miles per hour within her limits."

"No. But I watched it and Kensi controlled the impact. She'll be a bit bruised, battered and sore but she'll be okay." Sam knew it was hard not to be more protective of Kensi, simply because she was female. He had learned very quickly when he first began working with her that it was best to treat her as an equal and forget about her gender.

"You'll learn not to play with fire because it will burn you," Callen told him cryptically.

"_What?_" Deeks wondered what Callen could possibly be referencing with his cryptic statement. He didn't get an answer to his question as Kensi chose that moment to enter the bullpen.

"Come on Dr. Deeks. Time for you to do your escorting. Hope it is better than your liaising." Kensi picked up her bag from beside her desk and farewelled Sam and Callen.

Deeks grabbed his own small backpack and keys to his car, following his dark-haired partner as she left the building.

Sam and Callen exchanged a knowing look. Sam gave a low chuckle. "Do you think we should have told him?"

"Nah. Deeks needs to learn the hard way. It'll strengthen their partnership."

"Or break it."

"Fifty on three hours," Callen offered to his partner, as he gathered up his own bag.

"Fifty on an all nighter. She's good."

"Tomorrow is not going to come soon enough."

End Part 1 / 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Many thanks to those who took the time to review, favourite and alert. I hope you continue to enjoy this story. This story will end up being three parts rather than two. My muse has taken me further than I originally intended to go.**

* * *

**Part 2/3**

Kensi looked at Deeks' car with a grimace. Folding herself up into his Chevy Malibu, while not a small car, was different to getting into a four-wheel drive that she was used to. Given the different areas of her body already protesting at just walking and the differences in the suspension of the two cars, she was tempted to offer for Deeks to drive her Cadillac but the thought only lasted a moment. She was angry at him over making such a fuss. And she was angry with herself at giving in to temptation and having a shower at the Mission. If she'd just gone home, she wouldn't be caught in this mess of having to deal with doctors and hospitals.

"Not all of us get a government supplied vehicle," Deeks had caught her look at his car. He unlocked it and let her get in. He would have opened the door for her but thought he might actually end up needing the hospital more than she did if he tried. He knew that she was angry with him, her whole demeanour made that clear. He hoped that she would understand why he worried so much, that he needed for their to be a trust to not only have each other's back but to be able to tell each other things that matter – like being hurt.

"I didn't say a thing." Kensi wasn't about to correct his assumption because it would necessitate her admitting how sore she really felt.

"You didn't need to. Your look said it all."

While Pacific Beach Medical was only fifteen minutes away, it took twice as long in peak hour traffic. Kensi closed her eyes to avoid any conversation with Deeks. He was persistent when he wanted to be and right now, she was pretty sure if she gave him a chance, the questions would inevitably begin.

"I know you don't want to talk about _this_ but we will have to address it at some time." Deeks told her in a very quiet and controlled tone.

Kensi knew by his seriousness that they would be having the conversation at some time sooner rather than later. An awkward silence reigned, representative of the stalemate between the two partners.

Parking was at a premium when they arrived at the hospital. Their arrival coincided with visiting hours and they had to drive around the car park several times before they managed to get a spot.

"This is when it would have been good to flash the good ol' LAPD badge," Deeks commented as he finally pulled into the parking spot. He opened the door to get out.

"You can stay here," Kensi told him as she released her seatbelt.

"Nah ah. Not happening. Hetty told me to escort you and escort you I will. I value my life too much and I'll ensure that I do it properly." Deeks shut the door and waited while Kensi got out of the passenger seat. He watched her carefully, noting the little winces and grimaces that passed across her face. He didn't say a word, just filing away all his observations for later.

"Lead the way, Sir Galahad," Kensi said with a glimmer of a smile.

"Do you think that I've attained my Holy Grail?" Deeks looked across at her, giving a big grin as she shook her head and struggled for a comeback to his statement. She had left herself wide open for that one.

They went into the emergency department. The hospital had a triage area and Deeks gently cupped Kensi's elbow in his hand and guided her across to it.

"Hi. I'm Detective Marty Deeks of the LAPD." Deeks was exuding charm, his eyes fixing on the middle-aged, experienced nurse. "My partner, Kensi Blye has an appointment with Dr. Davis."

"Sonny, this is an emergency department. We don't do appointments. Your partner will have to be triaged and wait her turn."

"I think you'll find that unusual goes hand in hand with my partner. If you would just call Dr. Davis. He is expecting us. Henrietta Lange…"

"You may be able to get away with dropping names elsewhere, but we follow protocol here. Your partner looks okay, I'm sure that she'll be able to wait her turn."

"Even the nurse agrees with me, Deeks. Let's go." Kensi was about to turn and leave when a deep voice stopped her in her tracks.

"That won't be necessary, Kathy. I will see Miss Blye immediately."

Kathy was startled by the silver-haired doctor's sudden presence and his immediate acceptance to see Kensi straight away. She spluttered something about protocol, triage and was silenced with a single look from the doctor.

Both Kensi and Deeks were caught off-guard that the doctor was there, obviously waiting for them to arrive. Although, the appointment had been made by Hetty, they hadn't given it a thought that this might elevate Kensi's assessment to special treatment.

"Miss Blye, I doubt that Henrietta rang me just so that I could see your pretty face." He picked up a clipboard and buzzed the emergency room doors open. "Follow me," he instructed and walked off down the hallway. His whole demeanour conveyed that he was used to his instructions being followed immediately.

"He may look like an older Dr. Kildare but I think that's where the similarity ends. There's a streak of familiarity in the way he conducts himself. You don't think Hetty and he…." Deeks trailed off, not wanting to continue that train of thought.

"Nothing would surprise me with Hetty," Kensi replied.

Deeks went to follow Kensi before stopping short at the sharp look she gave him.

"Ah. I think I'll just wait here," he added with a smile.

Kensi gave a small smirk. Deeks narrowed his eyes, wondering what had just gone through her mind. He went back to the triage area and the still confused Kathy. She looked at him with a frown and pointed towards the waiting area.

XXX

The exam room was painted cream, continuing the theme from the hallway they had just walked down and actually had a door rather than just a curtained off area. A gurney was parked against the wall and a trolley with a collection of medical paraphernalia on both the top and bottom shelves was beside the bed. In the corner, there was a screened off area and a single wooden desk completed the ensemble in the room. Kensi suspected that Dr. Davis was a lot more than just an ER doctor, especially since Hetty had arranged this special visit.

"Miss Blye, if you would kindly put on the gown that is on the bed then I'll check out your injuries. You may change behind the screen over there." He sat down at the desk, reviewing the file in front of him.

Kensi took the thin, white gown and followed his instructions. She hated doctors and hospitals. All their pushing and prodding only made what hurt, hurt more. She folded her clothing carefully as she removed each piece, leaving only her bra and panties on and then tied up the gown, which fell only to her mid thigh. She came from behind the screen and the older doctor looked up.

"Would you sit up on the bed, my dear?" He indicated across the room to the examination table. "Henrietta told me about the collision and I must say that you are a lucky young lady to be walking in here rather than being wheeled in on a gurney."

"I've only got some grazes and some bruising but that's about it. I had a split second to save myself from being injured quite badly."

"How about I am the judge of that?"

Dr. Davis thoroughly poked and prodded her to his satisfaction before finally declaring that he was finished and that she could get dressed. Once she was dressed, Kensi came back out from behind the screen and Dr. Davis looked up at her over his half moon glasses.

"All right, my dear, I am willing to concede that other than a lot of bruising and some minor grazes, you are probably pretty accurate in your assessment that you are okay. But, and I qualify this for completeness sake, I'm going to send you to x-ray to check those ribs to ensure that there's not a small fracture that's masquerading as a bruised rib."

"Fine," Kensi agreed and began to spin a story that might just give her some satisfaction for having endured the examination which had only really wasted both the doctor's and her own time. "Doc, I am a bit concerned though."

"About what?" Dr. Davis continued writing in the file on the desk in front of him.

"My partner."

"And why would that be?"

"While I was involved in the car accident, my partner was engaged in a serious fight with the suspect we were chasing." Kensi worked at getting the right level of worry and concern conveyed without being over the top. "I have watched the CCTV footage of the fight and it was a very physical attack which resulted in my partner being thrown from a bridge and into the canal."

"That doesn't sound too good. The canals are teeming with bacteria after the recent deluge of rain."

"Well, I'm sure Hetty would want ensure that he has a medical clearance as well to ensure that he hasn't been exposed to anything untoward."

"I would agree but Henrietta didn't mention your partner needing a medical assessment."

"My partner can be very stoic when it comes to his injuries, much too his own detriment. I'm sure that Hetty would have instructed you to do so if she had been aware of his possible injuries by my partner." Kensi had to fight not to smile as she thought of the irony of describing Deeks as stoic. Her partner complained about the simplest of splinters.

"I'm sure that she would have too." An orderly with a wheel-chair arrived to take Kensi to x-ray.

"Just to let you know, he's not going to suffer this assessment willingly."

"Don't worry my dear. I know just the threat to ensure that he stays to the end of the last test that we will need to run."

With the deed now done, Kensi allowed herself to be wheeled out the door by the x-ray technician that had shown up moments before. Normally, she would have fought going in the wheelchair but the thought of walking any distance had her willingly sitting down. As she was wheeled past the waiting room, Kensi turned towards her partner as she left, giving him a quick smile and a wave.

Deeks had been sitting in the waiting room, flicking through out of date magazines. He would look up every few minutes, anxiously wondering what the doctor had found. After forty minutes, the door from the exam room into which she had gone had opened and a wheelchair had come out bearing his partner. She had given him a smile and wave as she was whisked away in the opposite direction. That smile had him confused but his thoughts were interrupted.

The doctor then appeared at the door and called out to him, "Detective Deeks, would you come in here please?"

Deeks frowned, surprised by the request. Doctor-patient confidentiality would prevent Dr Davis from telling him anything about the examination of Kensi. But maybe, Hetty had convinced him otherwise, one way or another. The woman had a talent for getting men to do things for her that they otherwise wouldn't consider.

"How is she?" Deeks asked before he could stop himself, immediately as he entered the examination room.

"You know I can't tell you that."

Okay, so Hetty hadn't been involved in getting the doctor to break protocol.

"But, while I can't tell you the exact nature of her injuries, suffice to say, I suspect her assessment of her injuries were fairly accurate. I am sending her for x-rays just to be sure."

"Really? There's nothing broken after a collision like she suffered with the car." Deeks can't believe that Kensi had not broken something in that hit. The average person would have been in hospital for several days, but not Kensi Blye. She was like the energiser bunny.

"From what she says, she controlled the collision and managed to reduce the way in which she impacted the car. That is what saved her from more serious injury."

Deeks wondered about that claim. Had she really managed to help save herself from further injury in the way she had told the doctor or was she just being Kensi and deflecting the doctor from looking into her injuries further. Kensi was good enough at her job to be able to convince the doctor of either.

"Now Mr. Deeks, why don't you get changed and we'll check out your own injuries."

"Pardon?" Deeks stammered, surprised by the request. "What are you talking about?"

"I can see quite plainly that you have also been injured. Your face has a cut under the eye, along with a blooming black eye. I understand that you were involved in a fairly heavy fight and then tossed off a bridge."

"Oh, that. No. I mean, yes, I did get in a fight and was thrown over a bridge but I am fine."

"I'd beg to differ. You were tossed into the canal and I'm afraid that is of quite serious concern."

"Really?" Deeks knew the canals weren't ideal for swimming but didn't think they were actually harmful, particularly how short his dunk into the water had been.

"Mr. Deeks, I believe that Henrietta's words would be _what's good for the goose is good for the gander_."

Immediately that Dr. Davis mentioned those words, Deeks suspected that Hetty had nothing to do with this whole scenario and more that Kensi had set him up well and truly. Her smile as she went past him before had him confused and now he knew why he had been suspicious. The words that Callen had said just before he left were reverberating in his mind _if you play with fire, don't be surprised if you get burned_. But the only thing that had him going along with the doctor's request was the niggling thought at the back of his mind, _what if Hetty had been involved in this?_

End Part 2/3

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Author notes

_The reference to the Chevy Malibu comes from an interview with Eric Christian Olsen when discussing the cars that they drive. We actually haven't seen the car that Deeks drives IIRC and I decided to use the one he named in the interview. It's interesting that without __**background**__ you can take a different meaning to what was intended. I had written the beginning of this story with the impression that the Malibu was a very small car. I decided I'd better look it up instead of looking like an idiot if it didn't match my impression of the vehicle. So glad for Dr Google as a Malibu would be like our Holden Commodore – affordable by every Tom, Dick & Harry. Research does pay off and worked out that ECO was referring to how cheap the car was in comparison to what the others drive._


	3. Chapter 3

**Many thanks to those who continue to take the time to review, favourite and alert. This is the final chapter to round up for the tag to Overwatch. Enjoy! Remember to review. It gives encouragement to write more. **

**Part 3/3**

It had taken less than ninety minutes for Kensi to be released from the doctor's care. She gave a small chuckle to herself as she passed by the closed examination room door and could clearly hear Deeks exclaim about the size of a needle. A loud yelp from her partner a moment later and Kensi began to feel guilt over what she had done. Deeks had only been overtly concerned for her welfare and she wasn't used to that. She had said time and time again that she hated lying to the innocent and yet that is exactly what she had just done to exact her revenge – revenge for a partner simply worried that she was hurt and covering up the injury.

Kensi walked out of the building into the darkness now pervading the parking lot and headed over to Deeks' car. She had been mulling so much in her thoughts that she had forgotten that Deeks had the keys to the car. She resorted to breaking into the Chevy Malibu with just a twinge of guilt. Opening the rear door, she dropped her bag on the back seat before settling herself into the passenger seat. While she could easily have hot-wired the car and gone home, that same guilt had her staying in the car and waiting for him. She moved the passenger seat right back and reclined the seat fully. She intended getting some sleep before her partner finally got himself extricated from the clutches of Dr. Davis. Before closing her eyes, she ensured that all the doors on the car were locked.

Kensi found that she was only able to doze lightly while waiting for Deeks. The Chevy Impala seat was not the most comfortable to sit in. Add to that her aches and it made it impossible to really find a position that enabled her to sleep at all.

The beeping sound as the locks on the car were disengaged and the flicker of lights accompanying it had her opening her eyes and lifting her gun which had been resting on her lap, to point at the person entering the car. Her hand relaxed and dropped the gun back down once she saw that it was her shaggy-haired partner dropping his body wearily into the seat.

"Do you think you're clever?" Deeks asked her quietly.

"Depends on what you are referring to." Kensi bit her lip and wouldn't meet his eye. She looked down at her watch. "Five hours, I'm impressed."

"With me or the doctor?" Deeks turned his body to face her, giving a grimace as he did so. "I have just spent five hours being attacked by nurses wielding needles the size of horse tranquilizers syphoning out my good quality blood. I've peed into more specimen jars than necessary and thank my lucky stars that they didn't require a stool sample. It was five hours more than I needed."

"Same here but you wouldn't trust me on that point."

"Kens, it was only two weeks ago that you got knocked out after being struck by Talbot. You had a concussion from the injury yet you got up and continued after him, despite it all. And you wonder why I won't trust your judgement when you say you are fine."

"It was a mild concussion. My judgement was and is fine," Kensi told him defensively.

"In respect of anything to do with your job – yes. In respect of yourself, I think you worry that everyone will see you as less of an agent if you let anyone know that you've been hurt. I don't think you realise that everyone knows how good you are at your job and you don't need to keep proving it at your health's expense."

"No I don't."

Deeks cocked his eyebrows, clearly showing his disbelief. He chose not to say anything more, letting the words that he had said sink in.

"I don't mean to," she corrected.

"I know it's not deliberate but it worries me. I need to know that my partner is okay to go on. Genuinely okay - not injured and covering it up. It's trust, Kens. Trust in each other that we know when we are able to go on and knowing when we need to call it quits."

"I'm not a quitter."

"I never said you were a quitter. We've both lost partners in our job and I don't want to risk losing another one," Deeks told her quietly, leaving unsaid _especially you._ "We need to trust each other in our re..partnership. We need to know we have each other's backs and that means knowing that each of us is okay, physically and emotionally. In future, I'll listen to you when you say you are fine as long as you are actually fine. I will call you on it, if I don't think that you are. I'm willing to do that – are you?

Kensi was blown away by his frankness. Never let it be said that Marty Deeks failed to surprise you. She had expected him to rant and rave over her accident, not to take this serious tack.

"Okay. Yeah. I can do that. I think. I can give you the doctor's report if you want." Kensi held up Dr Davis' summary report that was a copy for her general practitioner.

"No need. Doc mentioned that you were pretty accurate in your assessment of your injuries."

"Grazes on top of bruises. I'm going to be sore for the next couple of days." Kensi eyed the three paper bags in his hands. "What have you got there?"

"Ah. This is for you, compliments of Dr. Davis. Apparently you left without your script from the pharmacy so I have had it filled for you. Anti-inflammatories and pain-killers, the first is compulsory to take, the second is optional as you need it." Deeks passed the white bag over to her.

"Thanks."

"This is also for you." Deeks passed over the second, buff coloured bag.

Kensi frowned and opened it warily. Despite the intimate conversation they had just had, she was being cautious after having set up her partner. It contained a couple of ding dongs, twinkies and Ho Hos. She looked up in surprise.

"You haven't had any dinner and I can't really take you out at one in the morning, but I thought this might tide you over."

"Thanks." Kensi gave him a genuine smile that made her eyes sparkle.

"What about you? You can have one," Kensi offered him his choice of the goodies that had come in the bag.

"No. I'm good. The nurses provided me with a meal," Deeks said knowing that his partner would seize on the comment. He wasn't sure whether he could cope with a mocking Kensi at one o'clock in the morning.

"You sucked up to them," Kensi deduced.

"No. I just let them know that I was hungry and they felt sorry for me." Deeks deflected her comment easily.

Kensi just shook her head, not bothering to continue the argument – mild as it was. There was so much she could say but decided that five hours in a hospital was enough for the night. She knew her partner well enough and knew that he could turn on the charm and turn up the pain factor to get what he wanted.

"So what's in your little white bag?" Kensi asked, recognising that it was also a pharmaceutical one. "Just remember our little agreement a moment ago. It does go both ways."

"Absolutely," Deeks conceded, knowing that he was not going to get away with hiding his discovery.

"So what did the doctor say about you."

"Kensi…"

"We just made an agreement," she reminded him.

"I've got a fractured rib."

"And you were worried about me?" Kensi's eyebrows rose significantly in surprise. She had not been expecting anything to come of his examination, yet he had come off worse than she did in the injury stakes.

"It's an old injury that's been exacerbated by today's fight. I'm okay."

"Yet you got your own baggie of pharmaceutical goods." Kensi nodded towards the third bag. "What have you been issued with?"

"I've got my own collection of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain-killers."

"And you were the one having a go at me for sucking it up and coping yet here you are with the fractured rib"

"Hairline fracture. Doc almost couldn't see it on the x-ray."

"I'll remind you of this next time you're complaining about sunburn." Kensi gave a small chuckle."

"What's so funny?"

"I wonder how much the guys have bet on how long I got the doctor to keep you in hospital."

"What?" Deeks exclaimed, not so surprised by the bet but rather that she was known to have done this before. "You've done this sort of thing before."

"Maybe," Kensi said evasively. "Let's get going home. I really don't want to turn up to work in the same clothes I was in today."

XXX

"Good morning, Sunshine," Deeks greeted his partner as she dropped into the passenger seat beside him with a groan. Since her car was still at the Mission, he had come by her house to pick her up.

"Is it?" Kensi asked rhetorically as she slipped a pair on sunglasses on despite the sky being heavily overcast. She hadn't put them on fast enough for Deeks to miss seeing the deep blue bruises beneath her eyes, which explained her moody demeanour. Obviously, his partner had got little sleep when he had dropped her off in the early hours of the morning.

"I suppose it depends on what side of the bed you hopped out of," Deeks told her glibly.

Kensi gave a grimace as she did up her seatbelt. "Why are you so happy this morning?"

"I'm always happy."

"Oh no. Someone take me out and shoot me now." Kensi leaned back in the seat and looked upwards, seeking some heavenly assistance. She turned her head towards him, dread lacing her words, "Don't tell me you get high on painkillers."

"Happy high." Deeks waggled his eyebrows at her. "Well, yeah, maybe just a bit." Deeks illustrated his point indicating a small distance between his forefinger and his thumb.

"How long am I going to have to endure this?"

"Doc said I needed to take them for ten days." Deeks gave her another big grin.

"You've got to be joking." Kensi was already planning ways to dispose of his painkillers in order to ensure that she didn't shoot him first.

"I am actually," Deeks quipped with a small laugh. "But it was good to see you react like that."

"One day I'm going to shoot you and no one will blame me at all," Kensi muttered to herself.

"You love me too much to do that," Deeks told her. "Besides, you'd only have to train a new partner."

"It's probably the only thing that's stopping me right now."

Deeks knew when it was best to quit while he was ahead. The fact that she hadn't punched him when he had declared it all being a put on told him that he needed to divert to Kensi's favourite coffee shop and pick up some donuts to give her a sugar fix that might improve her mood.

XXX

Deeks strolled casually into the bullpen, carrying drinks for the rest of the team. Kensi headed upstairs to the ops to see Hetty and hand over the doctor's report though she was sure that Hetty knew the contents already.

"So how is she?" Sam asked as he took his drink from the cardboard tray, sitting back in his seat.

"Fine."

"G, isn't that what Kensi said yesterday – that she was fine." Sam looked over at his partner who was leaning back in his seat with his feet on his desk and reading the newspaper.

The two older men had already been to see Hetty before Deeks and Kensi had arrived and had been assured by the older woman that Kensi had not sustained any injuries in the collision.

"I'm not sure that the word _fine_ is defined in the medical dictionary. But in terms of when Kensi says that she's fine, she generally is."

"Yeah. I found that out. But at least we had it confirmed medically," Deeks responded confidently.

"Don't you think that it's a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, Sam?" Callen placed his newspaper down on his desk, watching Deeks face intently.

"For a person who whines about the slightest bruise, he didn't complain too much about a fractured rib," Sam point out.

"It's an old injury."

"How long did she get you held for?" Callen asked, smirking at the younger agent.

"Seriously, you guys bet on that?"

Sam and Callen exchanged grins. They both waited patiently, knowing that Deeks would spill the beans.

"Five hours," he said as he dropped into his own seat. "She managed to convince the doctor that my fight and fall into the canal might have dire consequences."

"Not too bad. I did try to warn you," Callen reminded him.

"You didn't need to be so subtle about it," Deeks complained.

"We could have hit you with a four by two and you still wouldn't have listened. Consider it as a learning curve. I'd also count yourself lucky that you didn't end up staying all night," Sam told him, taking a sip of his drink.

"So what did she do last time and to who?" Deeks leaned forward, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Mike Renko," Sam supplied with a muffled laugh as he recalled the incident.

"What did he happen to do?"

"Same as you but on that occasion she managed to convince security that he was an ex-lover that was going to attack her. They held him for the entire night and had LAPD turn up to take him in. It was only when one of the cops recognised him that they contacted NCIS to back up his story." Callen smiled as he re-told the story. Mike Renko had been ribbed over the incident for weeks and it had given him a marked respect for the dark-haired agent.

"So who won the bet?"

"I did," Eric called out to them as he came trotting down the stairs with Nell, Kensi and Hetty bringing up the rear. Normally, he would have been eager to take the spoils of the bet as the two men pulled out their wallets to pay their contribution, but he was obviously hesitating. He stood just inside the wrought iron of the bullpen, hands in his pockets and eyes avoiding meeting those of anyone else in the room. Kensi moved into the bullpen behind Deeks and Callen's chairs.

Hetty entered the bullpen with measured steps, her hands clasped in front of her. She cleared her throat before beginning to speak. Her eyes caught Sam and Callen in her sight, despite them being on the opposite side of the room.

"Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna, I appreciate that you need to fulfil your gambling needs but I would like you to choose more appropriate methods and not rope in others who are easily led like Mr. Beale."

Eric looked somewhat disturbed at having been accused of being a follower but wisely chose not to say anything. Hetty turned her attention to Kensi next.

"Miss Blye, while I appreciate the need to hone your undercover skills, I would prefer you not to use the medical staff of a hospital as your training ground. It is only because we discovered some valid medical data on Mr. Deeks that the medical insurance is covering the cost of all the tests that he endured."

"Mr. Deeks, I trust that you have listened to all that I have said and will note that surfing on company time is not acceptable." With that the diminutive leader left the team.

Deeks jaw dropped at that comment. Kensi leaned forward and pushed his jaw back, whispering in his ear, "she knows all." She went to her locker to put her things away in her locker.

"_I certainly hope that she doesn't_," Deeks thought to himself, watching his partner move away with a wistful look on his face.

End Part 3/3


End file.
